The Best for the Kids: Google Pixel Tablet
There is something about the design of both the hardware and software of the Pixel Tablet that allows it to feel playful and rugged in a way that makes it more kid friendly than other tablets. That said, it’s still a true performer for the price. It has a Tensor G2 chip, which is able to provide the performance you need to have a fluid experience with any app you throw at it. The Google Play store is the most robust and versatile store on the platform, and there are a lot of ways to personalize it with fun widgets that give the pixel so much personality. I highly recommend the changing dock, which not only charges it, but it has built-in speakers and Google Home capabilities. This opens up a whole new use case as I found myself using it for music, assistance and as a hub for my devices.
The Best for Teens and College Students: Apple MacBook Neo
This MacBook made a lot of waves for being great for students—and that’s due to its starting price point of $599 that manages to include most of the features you’d probably expect from Apple. They were able to keep the price so low by using a mobile chip (A 18 Pro) and having only 8GBs of RAM. Even so, it comes in the 13-inch design that’s expected from normal MacBooks, and it comes in fun colors—all while maintaining the super thin profile you’d expect from an Apple product. It offers 18-hours of battery life, which is more than enough to survive a full day of classes or the longest flight. It has 2 USB-C ports so you can both charge and connect another device, and one port can even handle a 4K 60hz display, which means you can hook it up to an external monitor if you want. That’s what I did during my workday, and I found that it was able to manage photo and video editing seamlessly. I definitely expect it to be the standard for classrooms, and it would be ideal for travel.
